Our Story
From Childhood Best Friends to East Bay Elixirs
Some businesses begin with a business plan. Ours began with a lifelong friendship, years of hospitality and celebrations, and one friend's wedding that brought everything full circle.
We’re Alisha and Azalea, founders and co-owners of East Bay Elixirs — and best friends since we were seven years old.
Long before East Bay Elixirs had a name, celebrations were already part of our story. We grew up together surrounded by birthdays, family gatherings, and the kinds of moments that bring people together.
As we got older, our lives took us in different directions — but without realizing it, we were each building the skills that would eventually bring us back together to create something of our own.
Best Friends Since Age Seven
Two different paths. One shared vision.
Alisha & Azalea · Co-Owners
Two Paths. One Shared Vision.
Alisha
Bartending & Hospitality
For Alisha, it started behind the bar.
With more than 15 years of experience in restaurants, bars, hospitality, and private events, bartending became an important part of her story. What began as a way to help put herself through school became years of learning the craft, connecting with people, working under pressure, and understanding how the smallest details can shape a guest’s entire experience. Bartending wasn’t originally meant to become a career. After school, life eventually took Alisha in another direction and she stepped away from working behind the bar professionally.
But she never really stopped being a bartender. Even during the years she wasn’t working behind a bar, she was still the one mixing drinks, experimenting with flavors, crafting cocktails, and creating something special for family gatherings, celebrations, and friends. The setting had changed, but her love for the craft never really went away. Looking back, those years weren’t really a break from bartending at all. They were simply a different chapter of it. So when a friend’s wedding eventually brought her back behind the bar, it didn’t feel like starting over. It felt familiar — and it reminded her how much she loved creating an experience around a great drink.
Azalea
Events, Celebrations & Hospitality
For Azalea, it started with a celebration.
Parties and events have been part of Azalea's life for as long as she can remember. She grew up in a family where birthdays, holidays, gatherings, and celebrations were more than occasions on a calendar — they were a way of bringing everyone together. From the time she was a little girl, she was surrounded by the planning, preparation, details, and hospitality that went into making those moments special.
As she got older, Azalea naturally became the person helping bring those celebrations to life. What started with family gatherings grew into coordinating parties and events for friends and loved ones. She developed an eye for the details people may not always notice individually, but that make an event feel thoughtful, welcoming, and complete.
That love for bringing people together followed her into her career as a teacher. Over the years, she has helped organize school events and celebrations for children and families, balancing creativity, organization, and the ability to keep many moving pieces working together.
And hospitality was never limited to planning. Along the way, Azalea also found herself behind the bar at friends' parties and celebrations, bartending on the side and becoming part of the experience she had helped create.
For Azalea, putting together an event has never been just about decorations, schedules, or making sure everything is in place. It's about how people feel when they walk into the room — welcomed, celebrated, cared for, and free to enjoy the moment.
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The Moment That Changed Everything
Then Came a Friend's Wedding.
One celebration brought both of our worlds together.
A friend's wedding gave us the opportunity to combine what we had each been doing separately and together for years.
Alisha found herself back behind the bar, reconnecting with more than a decade of bartending and hospitality experience. Azalea brought the event-minded instinct, organization, and attention to detail that had been part of her life since childhood.
Somewhere between the planning, the drinks, the details, and watching everything come together, we realized that the things we had each been doing separately and together for years fit together naturally.
"What if we built something of our own?"
And this time, we listened. East Bay Elixirs was born.
East Bay Elixirs Today
More Than What's Being Poured
Today, East Bay Elixirs brings together both sides of our story — years of bartending and hospitality experience with years of event coordination, celebrations, and guest care.
Together, we bring the bar, organization, details, and hospitality together to create an experience that feels polished without losing the personal touch.
When East Bay Elixirs shows up for an event, we don't want our clients to feel like they simply hired people to pour drinks. We want them to feel like they have people in their corner who genuinely care about their celebration.
Because the best events aren't remembered only for what was served. They're remembered for how people felt, who they were with, and the moments they shared.
It's about the crafted moments happening around the glass.
Crafted Moments · Poured With Passion
What Drives Us
Craft & Quality
Every cocktail menu is thoughtfully designed. We take pride in the details — from the garnish to the glassware.
Genuine Connection
We're not just bartenders. We're part of your event team. We listen, we collaborate, and we show up for you.
Professionalism
RBS-certified, fully insured, and always prepared. You can count on us to represent your event with excellence.
Community
As a Bay Area-based, women-owned business, we're invested in the communities we serve and the events that bring people together.
Our Credentials
Women-Owned Business
Proudly women-owned and operated, based in Hayward, CA.
RBS Certified
All bartenders hold current Responsible Beverage Service certification.
Fully Insured
Comprehensive liability insurance for every event.
Let's Craft Something Unforgettable
We'd love to be part of your next event. Reach out and let's start planning.